1. Related Applications
The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Number 2008-269380, filed Oct. 20, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information selecting method, and more specifically to an information processing apparatus having a function of selecting desired information from plural pieces of information with plural switches to execute predetermined processing using the selected information.
3. Description of the Related Art
Most electronic devices need to select information necessary for a target operation as a premise for the operation. In addition, the devices may select information to realize a variety of operations. Considering a television broadcast receiver as an example of an electronic device, the device needs to select a channel desired by a user (as information necessary for a broadcast reception operation) as a premise for television viewing. Further, considering a navigation system as an example of an electronic device, the system can select a scale at which a map is displayed (information that produces display variations in a map display operation).
To select such information, most electronic devices are equipped with an operation unit for selecting information. Examples of the operation unit include a GUI (graphical user interface) or TUI (text user interface) realized by software, and various types of switches or a touch panel realized by hardware. For example, the navigation system is provided with various switches and buttons on a casing as an operation unit for selecting information. The touch panel may be disposed in place of the switches or the like. Hitherto, various operation methods have been devised with a view to enhancing the convenience of user operations as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 10-141974 and 2002-230951.
According to the invention as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-141974, a selection menu for a scale pops up if a user touches a desired point on a map displayed on a screen with a touch panel with his finger for a predetermined period. Then, if the user sweeps the finger over the touch panel and takes the finger off at a position corresponding to a desired scale level out of plural scale levels in a popup menu, the scale level at the position in which the finger is released is selected and the map is displayed at this scale level.
Further, according to the invention as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-230951, a first bar including elements corresponding to plural pieces of providable information is displayed in a display area with a touch panel. When a user touches a desired portion on the first bar, a control unit extracts the numbers of songs in the user-touched portion and its surroundings (for example, plural song numbers including a number corresponding to the user-selected position) to update the display screen to display a second bar that allows selection of each of these song numbers. Then, a song of the song number which is selected by a user on the second bar is played back.
However, in the known techniques disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 10-141974 and 2002-230951, some devices are made on an operation method for selecting information but no devices are made on an operation method for cancelling selection. This will be described hereafter taking the case of selecting a scale to display a map as an example. In the navigation system, a desired scale selected by a user is set to display a map, and the map is displayed at the preset scale unless otherwise changed.
Here, the user sometimes wants to check a detailed map at a large scale or check a wide area map at a reduced scale. In such cases, the user changes the scale. By selecting a desired scale to display a map through this scale change operation, the user can obtain needed information on the detailed map or the wide area map displayed thereby. After the needed information is obtained, the scale is generally returned to the original one. However, the user needs to change the scale once again in a similar (or opposite) manner to the above. This operation is very troublesome.